Domain names

[stevo]

Have any of you heard of domain investing? Just a little hobby which I picked up about 8 years ago. Perhaps some of you would like to learn a little about this. Well, here are a few links for starters:


Industry publication : http://www.dnjournal.com/ytd-sales-charts.htm

Beginner's guide: http://www.namenewbie.com/

Best forum for domains: http://www.dnforum.com/

Buy or sell names:
http://www.sedo.com
http://www.afternic.com/index.php

Get an estimate for your domain: http://estibot.com/

Any questions - shoot me a pm

[pzarquon]

Re: Domain names

I wouldn't say I'm a domain name "investor," as that implies I buy them to make money, when really it's an uncontrollable neurosis.

I'm not a squatter and usually have plans for every address I get, but of course I have about ten times more ideas than I have hours in a day to build them. I'm getting better, though. I've only added three domains since March and am letting six expire this month!

I've picked up a couple of domains at auction (Sedo, SnapNames) but most of them through just waiting patiently for them to fully expire. When I buy at auction I always suspect I'm bidding against phantom bidders pumping up the price. HawaiiStar.com was my last acquisition, which was up for auction for $100 and up but eventually dropped and got nabbed for $7.

I've sold a few, too, all direct, never at auction. I'm in the middle of selling one of my most prized domains, and while it won't buy me a yacht or anything, it should pay off a few bills.

[LocalMotion]

Re: Domain names

i think domain "investing" or sqauting should be illegal.

That's like people trademarking any company name they can think of or patent whore companies, ones that don't have a single product but all they do is write very vague patents on everything and anything, then try to sue a company that actually makes a product that will do things that are similar to their so called patent.

[turtlegirl]

Re: Domain names

Domain "investing" is as fair as the stock market, or property speculation.
I don't do either.

[pzarquon]

Re: Domain names

Um. Grabbing a domain name that's a trademark for another company is a lousy way to make money. You'll likely lose money as you lose a trademark case (whether in a U.S. court or via WIPO). So I'm pretty sure nobody's talking about that.

Nabbing a clever domain name with nothing more than an idea -- say, hatsforteachers.com or waterproofsweaters.com -- in the hopes that someone may find a use for it and pay more than you paid for it? Sounds pretty reasonable to me.

Like I said, I plan to use every domain I buy, but you bet your sweet bippy if I realized reallycooldomainname.com was available when I'm convinced someone would pay big bucks for it, I'd surely snap it up. Chances are, $6 and a year later, I'll realize I was being ridiculous and just let it go.

[stevo]

Re: Domain names

Um. Grabbing a domain name that's a trademark for another company is a lousy way to make money. You'll likely lose money as you lose a trademark case (whether in a U.S. court or via WIPO). So I'm pretty sure nobody's talking about that.

Exactly. This was well documented early in the domain game. It kind of made folks have a negative initial exposure to the industry. Make no mistake, it is an industry.
DataRecovery.com recently sold at just over $1.5 million. Who would be entitled to this name other than the registrant? It is all about traffic, having a memorable (findable) name where customers can end up at your site. How many times have you seen this "www.SchwartzenheimersDogHouses4U.com"? Wouldn't www.DogHouses.us be much more memorable? Please note the shameless plug.

[scrivener]

Re: Domain names

i think domain "investing" or squatting should be illegal.

I don't. Do you also think it should be illegal to buy real estate if you don't have a specific, selfish use in mind? Should it be illegal to buy land and do nothing with it, hoping that someday someone will want that property and pay you money for it?

If a business with an existing name wasn't smart enough to grab the domain name it wanted when it was available and SOMEBODY ELSE WAS, why should the business have any rights to it? It should be forced to play by the same rules as anyone else. My family name is only the 1200th most common surname in America, but its related domain names were snatched up a LONG time ago, one of them by a company that rents sub-domains for webspace and email addresses. While I am annoyed that I didn't get the domain name and that a bunch of people with no ties to it did, I don't see how I have more of a right to it than they have, and if I did, how would anyone determine which of the 26,759 people (according to the 2000 census) in America who share my name would have the rights to the .com, .net, and .org domains? It's an Irish name, so I'm betting quite a few people in the UK would also like a stab at it.

Make no mistake, it is an industry.

That may be stretching the definition of "industry." It is undoubtedly a business, the buying and selling of goods, services, or commodities, and it takes a certain kind of industriousness, I suppose. I have no problem with people making money this way, but man. Please don't call it an industry. I work much, much harder at my job than you do at domain name investing, but teaching is not an industry.

[stevo]

Re: Domain names

That may be stretching the definition of "industry." It is undoubtedly a business, the buying and selling of goods, services, or commodities, and it takes a certain kind of industriousness, I suppose. I have no problem with people making money this way, but man. Please don't call it an industry. I work much, much harder at my job than you do at domain name investing, but teaching is not an industry.

Even by using your definition of industry, domain investing qualifies. You are making assumptions concerning me and domains. Currently, as I stated in my original thread, it is a hobby. And can be expensive as well. I have just about broken even concerning "investments". My primary means of income is as an industrial pipe welder and I can assure you that I work very hard as well as yourself.
I consider domaining to be fun. And... I believe that a few of my names may help me to a comfortable retirement. Possibly in your beautiful state.

[tutusue]

Re: Domain names

Scriv...I consider teaching a "profession". In very loose, easily debatable, tutusue-speak, a profession denotes more social and economic importance than an "industry". I work in the film industry. You work in the teaching profession.

My weak analogy might be that some people have jobs and others have careers. I'm sure I can find exceptions to my own, personal definition but I'm out of time right now. I'm heading to a storage locker in Kapolei to look for my asbestos suit!

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Domain names

I don't. Do you also think it should be illegal to buy real estate if you don't have a specific, selfish use in mind? Should it be illegal to buy land and do nothing with it, hoping that someday someone will want that property and pay you money for it?

If a business with an existing name wasn't smart enough to grab the domain name it wanted when it was available and SOMEBODY ELSE WAS, why should the business have any rights to it? It should be forced to play by the same rules as anyone else. My family name is only the 1200th most common surname in America, but its related domain names were snatched up a LONG time ago, one of them by a company that rents sub-domains for webspace and email addresses. While I am annoyed that I didn't get the domain name and that a bunch of people with no ties to it did, I don't see how I have more of a right to it than they have, and if I did, how would anyone determine which of the 26,759 people (according to the 2000 census) in America who share my name would have the rights to the .com, .net, and .org domains? It's an Irish name, so I'm betting quite a few people in the UK would also like a stab at it.

Well Scrivener.net is already taken and Scrivener.com isn't allowing me access to it Scriv I hope one of them is your's.

[scrivener]

Re: Domain names

Believe me, I tried. The problem is that "scrivener" is just too common a name. It's even a surname. I missed the boat on those, but I did grab the very Web-2.0-flavored scrivenr.net, which is the home of my tumble log.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Domain names

Believe me, I tried. The problem is that "scrivener" is just too common a name. It's even a surname. I missed the boat on those, but I did grab the very Web-2.0-flavored scrivenr.net, which is the home of my tumble log.

Too bad cuz if someone wasn't sitting on Scrivener.net you'd be the proud owner of it.